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Colombia vs Uruguay

Both Colombia and Uruguay are Spanish speaking nations, but Uruguay, tucked between Brazil and Argentina, can trace its origins to their Portuguese neighbors. It was the Portuguese who first settled in this sparsely populated area, but soon the Spanish wrested control. Both nations would gain independence from Spain around the same time. Weakened by the Napoleanic Wars, the firm grip Spain had on Latin America loosened. Between 1810-1840, Spain gradually lost all its possessions in Spain. In its place, there were 16 countries including Colombia and Uruguay.

Colombia was one of the early starters in independence. Bogota, capital of Colombia, was the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, one of the four viceroyalties of Spain in America. Led by Simon Bolivar, New Granada became independent as Republic of Colombia in 1819, but regional aspirations soon broke up this larger nation into three – Venezuela, Ecuador and Colombia (Panama was separated in 1903).

Uruguay, on the other hand, formed part of the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata (River Plate). Current day Uruguayan capital of Montevideo was a military stronghold, with upriver Buenos Aires forming the capital of the province. After the Napoleanic Wars, Rio de la Plata broke away and became independent. It was then that Brazil attempted to conquer Uruguay. Unable for either side to hold on to Uruguay, the nation became independent in 1828, under the auspices of Great Britain.

Incidentally, it was Uruguay who knocked out Brazil from the World Cup, the last time Brazil hosted it (1950).